It is no secret that many industries are heavily reliant on manufacturing in other parts of the world, most notably China, to drive down costs. Here at WheelAir, however, we remain committed to ensuring as much of our products are designed, manufactured and assembled locally.
This is why having suppliers and manufacturers on both sides of the UK channel is hugely beneficial to WheelAir – it allows us to make the most of the high-quality manufacturing on offer in Europe. While a small number of components are inevitably sourced from other parts of the world, the majority of components are manufactured and assembled here on the continent.
Product R&D, as well as the manufacturing of the electronics and the box build assembly all happen in Scotland, while the cushion and fabric covers are sourced from the Netherlands. Products then receive a final quality check and assembly at WheelAir HQ in the Netherlands.
Add to this our trusted network of distributors around the continent and it paints a positive picture for our Europe-centric approach to manufacturing and supply.
“We go for high-quality suppliers based in Europe,” explained CEO and founder of WheelAir, Corien Staels. “The only thing that isn’t manufactured in the EU is the material for our slingback covers. Everything else, from the electronics to the fans, are produced as locally to us as possible.
“This means that the product is slightly more expensive to make than it would be if we moved manufacturing elsewhere, however, it guarantees us a level of quality that cannot be matched.”
The mark of ‘made in europe’ is important for the WheelAir team who see it as a stamp of quality. Suppliers here are renowned around the world for being at the cutting of engineering and design technology and being so close to them makes it easier to come up with solutions.
“It is important that we’re close to our manufacturing so that modifications can be done quickly, and that any problems – should they arise – could be tackled quickly,” continued Ms Staels.
“We also want to use high-quality suppliers and support the local economy at the same time. That is why we choose to work with manufacturers based in Europe, predominantly in the UK and the Netherlands.”
For more information on our manufacturing and design process, take a look at some other articles at wheelair.co.uk. To get more information about the products themselves, feel free to contact the team at info@wheelair.co.uk.